cooking

Salmon and Leek pie


My mother used to make fish pie regularly, this recipe brought back childhood memories similar to that wonderful scene with the food critic in the movie Ratatouille.
– Chop two leeks and gently fry in some olive oil with a chopped onion.
– Peel and boil some potatoes and carrots, you can also add a turnip, a swede, or a sweet potato.
– Add a little water to the leeks if they start to stick to the pan
– When the leeks are soft add a large knob of butter to the pan.
– Sprinkle with flour and mix well. When all the lumps of flour are dissolved, add some milk and keep stirring until the sauce starts to thicken. Add plenty of nutmeg.
– If the leek/béchamel sauce is too thick add some more milk or a little cream.
– De-bone some fillets of fresh salmon and remove the skin. Actually any other fish would also be good.
– Place the fish in a deep baking dish, add pepper and sprinkle a little white wine over it, for added flavour.
– Pour over your leek/béchamel mixture.
– Mash the potatoes (and other vegetables if used) with a little butter.
– Spread the mash over the top of the fish and leeks. Make pretty patterns on the top with a fork.
– Bake in the oven at 200° for 25-30 minutes by which time the mash topping should have started to brown.

For me the best condiment to go with this fish pie is a generous dose of hot tabasco.